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A high school student called for help with this physics problem:
  • Car A moves with constant velocity v.
  • Car B starts to move when Car A passes through the point P.
  • Car B undergoes...
  • uniform acc. motion from P to Q.
  • uniform velocity motion from Q to R.
  • uniform acc. motion from R to S.
  • Car A and B pass through the point R simultaneously.
  • Car A and B arrive at the point S simultaneously.
Q1. When car A passes the point Q, which is moving faster?
Q2. Solve the time duration for car B to move from P to Q using L and v.
Q3. Magnitude of acc. of car B from P to Q, and from R to S: which is bigger?
Well, it can be solved with a series of tedious equations. But... how about this?
Code below:
%% get images and prepare stuffs
figure(WindowStyle="docked"),
ax1 = subplot(2,1,1);
hold on, box on
ax1.XTick = [];
ax1.YTick = [];
A = plot(0, 1, 'ro', MarkerSize=10, MarkerFaceColor='r');
B = plot(0, 0, 'bo', MarkerSize=10, MarkerFaceColor='b');
[carA, ~, alphaA] = imread('https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2013/07/12/11/58/car-145008_960_720.png');
[carB, ~, alphaB] = imread('https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2014/04/03/10/54/car-311712_960_720.png');
carA = imrotate(imresize(carA, 0.1), -90);
carB = imrotate(imresize(carB, 0.1), 180);
alphaA = imrotate(imresize(alphaA, 0.1), -90);
alphaB = imrotate(imresize(alphaB, 0.1), 180);
carA = imagesc(carA, AlphaData=alphaA, XData=[-0.1, 0.1], YData=[0.9, 1.1]);
carB = imagesc(carB, AlphaData=alphaB, XData=[-0.1, 0.1], YData=[-0.1, 0.1]);
txtA = text(0, 0.85, 'A', FontSize=12);
txtB = text(0, 0.17, 'B', FontSize=12);
yline(1, 'r--')
yline(0, 'b--')
xline(1, 'k--')
xline(2, 'k--')
text(1, -0.2, 'Q', FontSize=20, HorizontalAlignment='center')
text(2, -0.2, 'R', FontSize=20, HorizontalAlignment='center')
% legend('A', 'B') % this make the animation slow. why?
xlim([0, 3])
ylim([-.3, 1.3])
%% axes2: plots velocity graph
ax2 = subplot(2,1,2);
box on, hold on
xlabel('t'), ylabel('v')
vA = plot(0, 1, 'r.-');
vB = plot(0, 0, 'b.-');
xline(1, 'k--')
xline(2, 'k--')
xlim([0, 3])
ylim([-.3, 1.8])
p1 = patch([0, 0, 0, 0], [0, 1, 1, 0], [248, 209, 188]/255, ...
EdgeColor = 'none', ...
FaceAlpha = 0.3);
%% solution
v = 1; % car A moves with constant speed.
L = 1; % distances of P-Q, Q-R, R-S
% acc. of car B for three intervals
a(1) = 9*v^2/8/L;
a(2) = 0;
a(3) = -1;
t_BatQ = sqrt(2*L/a(1)); % time when car B arrives at Q
v_B2 = a(1) * t_BatQ; % speed of car B between Q-R
%% patches for velocity graph
p2 = patch([t_BatQ, t_BatQ, t_BatQ, t_BatQ], [1, 1, v_B2, v_B2], ...
[248, 209, 188]/255, ...
EdgeColor = 'none', ...
FaceAlpha = 0.3);
p3 = patch([2, 2, 2, 2], [1, v_B2, v_B2, 1], [194, 234, 179]/255, ...
EdgeColor = 'none', ...
FaceAlpha = 0.3);
%% animation
tt = linspace(0, 3, 2000);
for t = tt
A.XData = v * t;
vA.XData = [vA.XData, t];
vA.YData = [vA.YData, 1];
if t < t_BatQ
B.XData = 1/2 * a(1) * t^2;
vB.XData = [vB.XData, t];
vB.YData = [vB.YData, a(1) * t];
p1.XData = [0, t, t, 0];
p1.YData = [0, vB.YData(end), 1, 1];
elseif t >= t_BatQ && t < 2
B.XData = L + (t - t_BatQ) * v_B2;
vB.XData = [vB.XData, t];
vB.YData = [vB.YData, v_B2];
p2.XData = [t_BatQ, t, t, t_BatQ];
p2.YData = [1, 1, vB.YData(end), vB.YData(end)];
else
B.XData = 2*L + v_B2 * (t - 2) + 1/2 * a(3) * (t-2)^2;
vB.XData = [vB.XData, t];
vB.YData = [vB.YData, v_B2 + a(3) * (t - 2)];
p3.XData = [2, t, t, 2];
p3.YData = [1, 1, vB.YData(end), v_B2];
end
txtA.Position(1) = A.XData(end);
txtB.Position(1) = B.XData(end);
carA.XData = A.XData(end) + [-.1, .1];
carB.XData = B.XData(end) + [-.1, .1];
drawnow
end
Are you a Simulink user eager to learn how to create apps with App Designer? Or an App Designer enthusiast looking to dive into Simulink?
Don't miss today's article on the Graphics and App Building Blog by @Robert Philbrick! Discover how to build Simulink Apps with App Designer, streamlining control of your simulations!
Chen Lin
Chen Lin
Last activity on 3 Jul 2024

Northern lights captured from this weekend at MathWorks campus ✨
Did you get a chance to see lights and take some photos?
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Hi to all.
I'm trying to learn a bit about trading with cryptovalues. At the moment I'm using Freqtrade (in dry-run mode of course) for automatic trading. The tool is written in python and it allows to create custom strategies in python classes and then run them.
I've written some strategy just to learn how to do, but now I'd like to create some interesting algorithm. I've a matlab license, and I'd like to know what are suggested tollboxes for following work:
  • Create a criptocurrency strategy algorythm (for buying and selling some crypto like BTC, ETH etc).
  • Backtesting the strategy with historical data (I've a bunch of json files with different timeframes, downloaded with freqtrade from binance).
  • Optimize the strategy given some parameters (they can be numeric, like ROI, some kind of enumeration, like "selltype" and so on).
  • Convert the strategy algorithm in python, so I can use it with Freqtrade without worrying of manually copying formulas and parameters that's error prone.
  • I'd like to write both classic algorithm and some deep neural one, that try to find best strategy with little neural network (they should run on my pc with 32gb of ram and a 3080RTX if it can be gpu accelerated).
What do you suggest?
Hey MATLAB Community! 🌟
In the vibrant landscape of our online community, the past few weeks have been particularly exciting. We've seen a plethora of contributions that not only enrich our collective knowledge but also foster a spirit of collaboration and innovation. Here are some of the noteworthy contributions from our members.

Interesting Questions

Victor encountered a puzzling error while trying to publish his script to PDF. His post sparked a helpful discussion on troubleshooting this issue, proving invaluable for anyone facing similar challenges.
Devendra's inquiry into interpolating and smoothing NDVI time series using MATLAB has opened up a dialogue on various techniques to manage noisy data, benefiting researchers and enthusiasts in the field of remote sensing.

Popular Discussions

Adam Danz's AMA session has been a treasure trove of insights into the workings behind the MATLAB Answers forum, offering a unique perspective from a staff contributor's viewpoint.
The User Following feature marks a significant enhancement in how community members can stay connected with the contributions of their peers, fostering a more interconnected MATLAB Central.

From File Exchange

Robert Haaring's submission is a standout contribution, providing a sophisticated model for CO2 electrolysis, a topic of great relevance to researchers in environmental technology and chemical engineering.

From the Blogs

Sivylla's comprehensive post delves into the critical stages of AI model development, from implementation to validation, offering invaluable guidance for professionals navigating the complexities of AI verification.
In this engaging Q&A, Ned Gulley introduces us to Zhaoxu Liu, a remarkable community member whose innovative contributions and active engagement have left a significant impact on the MATLAB community.
Each of these contributions highlights the diverse and rich expertise within our community. From solving complex technical issues to introducing new features and sharing in-depth knowledge on specialized topics, our members continue to make MATLAB Central a vibrant and invaluable resource.
Let's continue to support, inspire, and learn from one another
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The study of the dynamics of the discrete Klein - Gordon equation (DKG) with friction is given by the equation :
above equation, W describes the potential function :
The objective of this simulation is to model the dynamics of a segment of DNA under thermal fluctuations with fixed boundaries using a modified discrete Klein-Gordon equation. The model incorporates elasticity, nonlinearity, and damping to provide insights into the mechanical behavior of DNA under various conditions.
% Parameters
numBases = 200; % Number of base pairs, representing a segment of DNA
kappa = 0.1; % Elasticity constant
omegaD = 0.2; % Frequency term
beta = 0.05; % Nonlinearity coefficient
delta = 0.01; % Damping coefficient
  • Position: Random initial perturbations between 0.01 and 0.02 to simulate the thermal fluctuations at the start.
  • Velocity: All bases start from rest, assuming no initial movement except for the thermal perturbations.
% Random initial perturbations to simulate thermal fluctuations
initialPositions = 0.01 + (0.02-0.01).*rand(numBases,1);
initialVelocities = zeros(numBases,1); % Assuming initial rest state
The simulation uses fixed ends to model the DNA segment being anchored at both ends, which is typical in experimental setups for studying DNA mechanics. The equations of motion for each base are derived from a modified discrete Klein-Gordon equation with the inclusion of damping:
% Define the differential equations
dt = 0.05; % Time step
tmax = 50; % Maximum time
tspan = 0:dt:tmax; % Time vector
x = zeros(numBases, length(tspan)); % Displacement matrix
x(:,1) = initialPositions; % Initial positions
% Velocity-Verlet algorithm for numerical integration
for i = 2:length(tspan)
% Compute acceleration for internal bases
acceleration = zeros(numBases,1);
for n = 2:numBases-1
acceleration(n) = kappa * (x(n+1, i-1) - 2 * x(n, i-1) + x(n-1, i-1)) ...
- delta * initialVelocities(n) - omegaD^2 * (x(n, i-1) - beta * x(n, i-1)^3);
end
% positions for internal bases
x(2:numBases-1, i) = x(2:numBases-1, i-1) + dt * initialVelocities(2:numBases-1) ...
+ 0.5 * dt^2 * acceleration(2:numBases-1);
% velocities using new accelerations
newAcceleration = zeros(numBases,1);
for n = 2:numBases-1
newAcceleration(n) = kappa * (x(n+1, i) - 2 * x(n, i) + x(n-1, i)) ...
- delta * initialVelocities(n) - omegaD^2 * (x(n, i) - beta * x(n, i)^3);
end
initialVelocities(2:numBases-1) = initialVelocities(2:numBases-1) + 0.5 * dt * (acceleration(2:numBases-1) + newAcceleration(2:numBases-1));
end
% Visualization of displacement over time for each base pair
figure;
hold on;
for n = 2:numBases-1
plot(tspan, x(n, :));
end
xlabel('Time');
ylabel('Displacement');
legend(arrayfun(@(n) ['Base ' num2str(n)], 2:numBases-1, 'UniformOutput', false));
title('Displacement of DNA Bases Over Time');
hold off;
The results are visualized using a plot that shows the displacements of each base over time . Key observations from the simulation include :
  • Wave Propagation: The initial perturbations lead to wave-like dynamics along the segment, with visible propagation and reflection at the boundaries.
  • Damping Effects: The inclusion of damping leads to a gradual reduction in the amplitude of the oscillations, indicating energy dissipation over time.
  • Nonlinear Behavior: The nonlinear term influences the response, potentially stabilizing the system against large displacements or leading to complex dynamic patterns.
% 3D plot for displacement
figure;
[X, T] = meshgrid(1:numBases, tspan);
surf(X', T', x);
xlabel('Base Pair');
ylabel('Time');
zlabel('Displacement');
title('3D View of DNA Base Displacements');
colormap('jet');
shading interp;
colorbar; % Adds a color bar to indicate displacement magnitude
% Snapshot visualization at a specific time
snapshotTime = 40; % Desired time for the snapshot
[~, snapshotIndex] = min(abs(tspan - snapshotTime)); % Find closest index
snapshotSolution = x(:, snapshotIndex); % Extract displacement at the snapshot time
% Plotting the snapshot
figure;
stem(1:numBases, snapshotSolution, 'filled'); % Discrete plot using stem
title(sprintf('DNA Model Displacement at t = %d seconds', snapshotTime));
xlabel('Base Pair Index');
ylabel('Displacement');
% Time vector for detailed sampling
tDetailed = 0:0.5:50; % Detailed time steps
% Initialize an empty array to hold the data
data = [];
% Generate the data for 3D plotting
for i = 1:numBases
% Interpolate to get detailed solution data for each base pair
detailedSolution = interp1(tspan, x(i, :), tDetailed);
% Concatenate the current base pair's data to the main data array
data = [data; repmat(i, length(tDetailed), 1), tDetailed', detailedSolution'];
end
% 3D Plot
figure;
scatter3(data(:,1), data(:,2), data(:,3), 10, data(:,3), 'filled');
xlabel('Base Pair');
ylabel('Time');
zlabel('Displacement');
title('3D Plot of DNA Base Pair Displacements Over Time');
colorbar; % Adds a color bar to indicate displacement magnitude
Updating some of my educational Livescripts to 2024a, really love the new "define a function anywhere" feature, and have a "new" idea for improving Livescripts -- support "hidden" code blocks similar to the Jupyter Notebooks functionality.
For example, I often create "complicated" plots with a bunch of ancillary items and I don't want this code exposed to the reader by default, as it might confuse the reader. For example, consider a Livescript that might read like this:
-----
Noting the similar structure of these two mappings, let's now write a function that simply maps from some domain to some other domain using change of variable.
function x = ChangeOfVariable( x, from_domain, to_domain )
x = x - from_domain(1);
x = x * ( ( to_domain(2) - to_domain(1) ) / ( from_domain(2) - from_domain(1) ) );
x = x + to_domain(1);
end
Let's see this function in action
% HIDE CELL
clear
close all
from_domain = [-1, 1];
to_domain = [2, 7];
from_values = [-1, -0.5, 0, 0.5, 1];
to_values = ChangeOfVariable( from_values, from_domain, to_domain )
to_values = 1×5
2.0000 3.2500 4.5000 5.7500 7.0000
We can plot the values of from_values and to_values, showing how they're connected to each other:
% HIDE CELL
figure
hold on
for n = 1 : 5
plot( [from_values(n) to_values(n)], [1 0], Color="k", LineWidth=1 )
end
ax = gca;
ax.YTick = [];
ax.XLim = [ min( [from_domain, to_domain] ) - 1, max( [from_domain, to_domain] ) + 1 ];
ax.YLim = [-0.5, 1.5];
ax.XGrid = "on";
scatter( from_values, ones( 5, 1 ), Marker="s", MarkerFaceColor="flat", MarkerEdgeColor="k", SizeData=120, LineWidth=1, SeriesIndex=1 )
text( mean( from_domain ), 1.25, "$\xi$", Interpreter="latex", HorizontalAlignment="center", VerticalAlignment="middle" )
scatter( to_values, zeros( 5, 1 ), Marker="o", MarkerFaceColor="flat", MarkerEdgeColor="k", SizeData=120, LineWidth=1, SeriesIndex=2 )
text( mean( to_domain ), -0.25, "$x$", Interpreter="latex", HorizontalAlignment="center", VerticalAlignment="middle" )
scaled_arrow( ax, [mean( [from_domain(1), to_domain(1) ] ) - 1, 0.5], ( 1 - 0 ) / ( from_domain(1) - to_domain(1) ), 1 )
scaled_arrow( ax, [mean( [from_domain(end), to_domain(end)] ) + 1, 0.5], ( 1 - 0 ) / ( from_domain(end) - to_domain(end) ), -1 )
text( mean( [from_domain(1), to_domain(1) ] ) - 1.5, 0.5, "$x(\xi)$", Interpreter="latex", HorizontalAlignment="center", VerticalAlignment="middle" )
text( mean( [from_domain(end), to_domain(end)] ) + 1.5, 0.5, "$\xi(x)$", Interpreter="latex", HorizontalAlignment="center", VerticalAlignment="middle" )
-----
Where scaled_arrow is some utility function I've defined elsewhere... See how a majority of the code is simply "drivel" to create the plot, clear and close? I'd like to be able to hide those cells so that it would look more like this:
-----
Noting the similar structure of these two mappings, let's now write a function that simply maps from some domain to some other domain using change of variable.
function x = ChangeOfVariable( x, from_domain, to_domain )
x = x - from_domain(1);
x = x * ( ( to_domain(2) - to_domain(1) ) / ( from_domain(2) - from_domain(1) ) );
x = x + to_domain(1);
end
Let's see this function in action
Show code cell
from_domain = [-1, 1];
to_domain = [2, 7];
from_values = [-1, -0.5, 0, 0.5, 1];
to_values = ChangeOfVariable( from_values, from_domain, to_domain )
to_values = 1×5
2.0000 3.2500 4.5000 5.7500 7.0000
We can plot the values of from_values and to_values, showing how they're connected to each other:
Show code cell
-----
Thoughts?
I recently had issues with code folding seeming to disappear and it turns out that I had unknowingly disabled the "show code folding margin" option by accident. Despite using MATLAB for several years, I had no idea this was an option, especially since there seemed to be no references to it in the code folding part of the "Preferences" menu.
It would be great if in the future, there was a warning that told you about this when you try enable/disable folding in the Preferences.
I am using 2023b by the way.
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In the MATLAB editor, when clicking on a variable name, all the other instances of the variable name will be highlighted.
But this does not work for structure fields, which is a pity. Such feature would be quite often useful for me.
I show an illustration below, and compare it with Visual Studio Code that does it. ;-)
I am using MATLAB R2023a, sorry if it has been added to newer versions, but I didn't see it in the release notes.
Welcome to MATLAB Central's first Ask Me Anything (AMA) session! Over the next few weeks, I look forward to addressing any questions or curiosities you might have about MATLAB, the forum, sasquatches, or whatever's on your mind. Having volunteered as a contributor to this community before joining MathWorks, I'm excited to act as a bridge between these two worlds. Let's kick things off by sharing a little-known fact about the forum’s staff contributors!
A couple of years ago, before I joined MathWorks as a developer on the Graphics and Charting team, I often wondered who were the MathWorkers with the [staff] moniker answering questions in the Answers forum. Is their MATLAB Central activity part of their day-to-day job expectations? Do they serve specific roles on some kind of community outreach team? Is their work in the forum voluntary in the same way that non-staff contributors volunteer their time?
Now that I'm on the inside, I'd like to share a secret with my fellow MATLAB users and MATLAB Central enthusiasts: with the exception of the MathWorks Support Team, staff participation in the Answers forum is completely voluntary! The staff contributions you see in the forum arise from pure intrinsic motivation to connect with users, help people out of ruts, and spread the word about our product!
For example, Steven Lord has contributed 20-150 answers per month for 9 years! Steven is a quality engineer for core MATLAB numerical functions. Cris LaPierre develops training material and has been a faithful contributor in the forum for almost 6 years! Kojiro Saito and Akira Agata have been tackling Japanese content for more than 7 years! There are many others who have inspired me as a user, and I am honored to now call colleagues: Peter Perkins, Michio, Joss Knight, Alan Weiss, Jiro Doke, Edric Ellis, and many others who deserve appreciation.
The forum's success hinges on the invaluable contributions from the majority of non-staff volunteers, whose dedication and expertise fuel our community. But I know I wasn't alone in wondering about these staff contributors, so now you're in on the secret!
I'm curious to know what other topics you're interested in learning about. Ask me anything!
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As far as I know, the MATLAB Community (including Matlab Central and Mathworks' official GitHub repository) has always been a vibrant and diverse professional and amateur community of MATLAB users from various fields globally. Being a part of it myself, especially in recent years, I have not only benefited continuously from the community but also tried to give back by helping other users in need.
I am a senior MATLAB user from Shenzhen, China, and I have a deep passion for MATLAB, applying it in various scenarios. Due to the less than ideal job market in my current social environment, I am hoping to find a position for remote support work within the Matlab Community. I wonder if this is realistic. For instance, Mathworks has been open-sourcing many repositories in recent years, especially in the field of deep learning with typical applications across industries. I am eager to use the latest MATLAB features to implement state-of-the-art algorithms. Additionally, I occasionally contribute through GitHub issues and pull requests.
In conclusion, I am looking forward to the opportunity to formally join the Matlab Community in a remote support role, dedicating more energy to giving back to the community and making the world a better place! (If a Mathworks employer can contact me, all the better~)
We're thrilled to unveil a new feature in the MATLAB Central community: User Following.
Our community is so lucky to have many experienced MATLAB experts who generously share their knowledge and insights across different applications, including Answers, File Exchange, Discussions, Contests, or Blogs.
With the introduction of User Following feature, you can now easily track new content across different areas and engage in discussions with people you follow. Simply click the ‘Follow’ button located on their profile page to start.
Depending on your communication setting, you will receive notifications via email and/or view updates in your ‘Followed Activity’ feeds. To tailor your feed, select the ‘People’ filter and focus on activities from those you follow.
We strongly encourage you to take advantage of the User Following feature to foster learning and collaboration within our vibrant community.
Who will be the first person you choose to follow? Share your answer in the comments section below and let's inspire each other to explore new horizons together.

Hello MathWorks Community,

I am excited to announce that I am currently working on a book project centered around Matrix Algebra, specifically designed for MATLAB users. This book aims to cater to undergraduate students in engineering, where Matrix Algebra serves as a foundational element.

Matrix Algebra is not only pivotal in understanding complex engineering concepts but also in applying these principles effectively in various technological solutions. MATLAB, renowned for its powerful computational capabilities, is an excellent tool to explore and implement these concepts, making it a perfect companion for this book.

As I embark on this journey to create a resource that bridges theoretical matrix algebra with practical MATLAB applications, I am looking for one or two knowledgeable individuals who have a firm grasp of both subjects. If you have experience in teaching or applying matrix algebra in engineering contexts and are familiar with MATLAB, your contribution could be invaluable.

Collaborators will help in shaping the content to ensure it is educational, engaging, and technically robust, making complex concepts accessible and applicable for students.

If you are interested in contributing to this project or know someone who might be, please reach out to discuss how we can work together to make this book a valuable resource for engineering students.

Thank you and looking forward to your participation!

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I created an ellipse visualizer in #MATLAB using App Designer! To read more about it, and how it ties to the recent total solar eclipse, check out my latest blog post:
Github Repo of the app (you can open it on MATLAB Online!):